"I wish for the job satisfaction I had 20 years ago when the pressures were fewer and students appreciated everything we did for them. Respect would certainly go a long way."

Claire Lackford, teacher, Kings-mead primary, Cheshire (pictured on opposite page): "I wish that my unborn child will be able to see his mother at evenings and weekends instead of a grumpy, tired woman behind a laptop or a pile of books."

Malcolm Glover, co-ordinator, Heamoor, Cornwall: "Leave me alone to get on with it."

Antoinette Bell, head of department, Haling Manor high, Croydon: "I wish I had more support when behaviour issues get out of control: breaking up fights, being sworn at, dealing with theft. I am often dealing with criminal behaviour with no tools to combat it effectively."

Scott Jamieson, teacher, John Summers school, Flintshire : "I wish the pupils had a better range of swear words. Fuck just doesn't do it for me anymore."

Nick Prince, head of department, Lincoln Minster School: "Do not change pension rights: the new proposals amount to an attempt to get you to die before you ever can draw a pension."

Nick Prince, head of department, Lincoln Minster School: "Do not change pension rights: the new proposals amount to an attempt to get you to die before you ever can draw a pension."

Sarah Crouch, deputy head, St Thomas of Canterbury, west London: "I wish I could tell people what I did for a living and feel pride, feel I was valued and paid properly."

Caroline Buchan, head of depart-ment, Gillbrook technology college, Redcar and Cleveland : "I wish my school was not judged by inspectors old enough to be my granddad and who had not been in the classroom for at least ten years."

Name and address supplied: "I wish that the headmaster would stop bullying us all."

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